My Contract Husband Resembles the Male Protagonist - Chapter 33
Adelaine was comforting Sophia with a gentle pat on the shoulder and then turned to look at the Lord.
“Are you feeling better now, Grandfather?”
Adelaine, with teary eyes, massaged the Lord’s arm.
“I’m relieved… My father was very worried too.”
“Thank you, Adelaine.”
The Lord, who had lost a son and daughter-in-law in a carriage accident, had grown close to the Count of Kiedland, who was about his children’s age.
The closeness between Sophia and Adelaine was also due to that relationship.
“Well, I should leave so you can rest, Grandfather.”
“Do so, Adelaine. Thank you.”
I watched Adelaine’s retreating figure with a smile.
“Excuse me, Lord. I’ll be leaving now…”
“Anne.”
Just before I left, Sophia fidgeted and grabbed my sleeve.
“I never thought Grandfather could wake up again like this. Thank you so much.”
Her brown eyes were brimming with tears.
“If we hadn’t known it was poison and continued looking for other methods, by now, my Grandfather might have…”
“Don’t cry, Sophia. It’s okay.”
I comforted the tearful Sophia. She was as tender-hearted as she appeared.
“But who could have done such a thing to my Grandfather?”
“He never did anything to warrant such resentment, right?”
“As far as I know, he’s not that kind of person. My Grandfather is really kind and gentle.”
Sophia had a lot of trust in her grandfather, the Lord.
“Grandfather has been taking care of me since I was a baby, never leaving me in someone else’s hands. He even changed my diapers himself.”
“That’s impressive.”
From the information I gathered, there was nothing notable about his past.
“Have you checked on Adelaine Kiedland?”
“I’ve secretly searched her room, but… nothing suspicious came out. And Adelaine, she…”
Sophia hesitated, struggling to hold back tears that threatened to spill.
“I brought all the herbs Anne mentioned. The Count of Kiedland also wishes for my grandfather’s recovery…”
“Do you think well of Adelaine?”
“It’s a good family. She’s been like a cousin sister to me since we were little.”
“Her attitude towards you doesn’t seem to suggest that.”
“She’s just very emotional.”
However, Kiedland and Grunwald were originally part of one domain, and Kiedland had made several attempts to absorb Grunwald as well.
And there seemed no other reason for anyone to harm the remote Lord of Grunwald.
It would have been more loss than gain.
‘Adelaine provided the herbs, didn’t she?’
Sophia seemed reluctant to doubt Adelaine, who was almost a sister to her, but it was problematic that the herbs I mentioned were in Kiedland’s possession.
Cozyflower was a modified species of a herb that used to be a specialty of Grunwald.
In fact, it had become extinct in Grunwald, with all the mother plants completely gone.
The fact that a herb originally exclusive to Grunwald ended up in Kiedland as their new modified species was too suspicious to be a coincidence.
Especially since it was a herb sold at a very high price, there was no reason to just hand over the seedlings.
‘And there were times when the two domains weren’t on good terms.’
Upon investigation, I learned that Grunwald was previously much more fertile.
The decline of this domain began after monsters poured out of the Gonia Mountains, which stretch between Grunwald and Kiedland.
‘Grunwald became desolate, and thanks to the monsters flocking to Grunwald, Kiedland remained unscathed.’
The development of Cozyflower was not that long ago.
And Kiedland was not a family known for its extensive knowledge of herbs.
I headed towards Adelaine’s bedroom.
Knock knock.
I knocked on Adelaine’s door, but she did not come out.
“…I came because you told me to, father! What is this mess?!”
Then, somewhere, a voice of undutiful offspring was heard.
It was Adelaine’s voice.
